Tilting means for electric furnaces



Sept, 6, 1949. J. K. McBROOM TILTING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC FURNACESFiledQct. 5, 1946 INVENTOR.

JOHN K. M Baoom BY F C1; 2. I W74M\ ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1949UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

2,481,433 TILTING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC FURNACES John'K. McBroom, Waukcsha,Wis. Application October 5, 19%, Serial No. 701,551

1 Claim. 1

This invention relatesto electric furnaces and is particularly directedto tilting mechanism therefor. I

Objects of this invention are to provide an electric furnace which is somade-that the nt-- most ease is obtained in tilting the furnace wheth erit is charged or uncharged, and which is so made that there is a bias'or tendency to tiit towards discharging position when it is charged anda bias or tendency to tilt or rock back to upright or normal positionwhen it is empty.

In greater detail, further objects are to provide an electric furnacewhich is supported by mental members located on opposite sides of thefurnace and rigid with the furnace which roll on tracks and which areequipped with peripheral teeth which mesh with racks formed rigid withthe tracks so that both sides of the furnace are positively moved orurged forwardly or rearwardly, and to provide a hand wheel or powermember with a small pinion concentric with the segmental members andmeshing with an upper rack paralleling the tracks so that when thepinion rotated it will cause the furnace to roll or rock forward orbackward as desired.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the furnace showing it in upright ornormal operating posh tion, such view being partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a view showing the furnace in tilting position with partsbroken away.

Figure 3 is in enlarged sectional view on the 1ine 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the shell or furnacebody is indicated by the reference character I and the top by thereference character 2. A vertical adjustable standard 3 carries atransversely extending electrode holder 4 which, in turn, carries theelectrode 5. The furnace is provided with a spout or discharge member 6.It is supported by a pair of segmental flanged members I which are rigidwith the body I of the furnace and are located on opposite sidesthereof. These segmental members I are provided with segmental teeth 5.The segmental members I support the furnace by riding upon tracks 9 onopposite sides of the furnace carried by the standards Ill. These tracksare preferably slightly upturned at their ends as indicated at 9' toprovide means for preventing excessive rocking of the furnace in eitherdirection. The tracks 9 are provided with rack teeth II which are formedintegrally with 2 the track and which mesh with the segmental teeth 8 0fthe members I. 1

An upper horizontal rack I2 is carried by the standards I3 or endmembers A single rack I2 is provided on one side only of the furnace.This rack coacts with a small pinion I4 which is rigid with a hand wheelI5 or with a power driven member of any suitable type. ,For instance,the hand wheel I5 and the pinion I 4 may be mounted rigidly upon a smallshaft or suitable shaft Iii which is revolubly mounted in the sideportion Ii of the furnace body I.

A detent or pawl I8 is loosely pivotally carried by the shaft I 6 at itsbifurcated ends which ends are shown in section in Figure 3. Normallythe pawl or detent I8 locks between successive teeth of the rack I2 andholds the furnace against rocking in either direction. When it isdesired to rock the furnace, the pawl I8 is rocked upwardly to thedotted line position shown in Figure 1 and is arrested by means of a pinI9. When the pawl is detached, it is obvious that the furnace may berocked.

The rocking of the furnace is accomplished by rotating the hand wheel I5in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1. It is to benoted that the segmental members 7 are concentric with the pinion I4 andit is, therefore clear that the pinion I4 will travel horizontally alongthe rack I2 and will move the furnace to the left causing it to rock tothe position shown in Figure 2. After the furnace has been emptied, itis again rocked to the position shown in Figure 1 by rotating the handwheel IS in a clockwise direction.

The proportion of the parts is such that when the furnace is loaded, thecenter of gravity is below and slightly to the left of the axis of thepinion I l, as indicated at A, see Figure 1, thus furnishing a bias orforce urging the furnace towards discharging position. When the furnaceis empty, the center of gravity is to the right and below the axis ofthe pinion I4, as indicated at B, and consequently there is a bias orforce urging the furnace to the right or to its normal position when thefurnace is empty. In other words, the proportion of the parts isarranged to provide a center of gravity when the furnace is empty anduntilted rearwardly and below the axis of the pinion and forwardly andbelow the axis of the pinion when the furnace is charged and untilted.

It is to be noted that the weight of the furnace is borne by thesegmental members I which ride upon the tracks 9, and that there is nowedging between the segmental teeth 8 and the rack I 1.

Further it is to be noted that the furnace, though relatively heavy, isvery easy to rock in view of the mechanism hereinabove described as aconsiderable multiplication of force is obtained by the large hand wheeland the small pinion I 4. These members are used merely to shift thefurnace, the shifting coasting with the segmental pinions 8 and thetrack 9 to tilt the furnace while it is being shifted.

Thus it is clear that the minimum of effort is required in operating thefurnace.

It is to be noted that the mechanism is very simple and is easy toproduce and is also reliable in operation.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, it isto be understood that such description is intended as illustrativerather than limiting, as the invention may be variously embodied and isto be interpreted as claimed.

I claim: I

An electric furnace having tilting and supporting means and having abody portion, said tilting and supporting means comprising a, pair ofsegmental members rigid With said body portion and located on oppositesides thereof and provided with segmental teeth, stationary trackslocated on opposite sides of said body portion and ar- 4 ranged tosupport said segmental members, racks adjacent said tracks meshing withthe segmental teeth of said segmental members, an upper rack locatedabove one of said first mentioned racks and parallel thereto, a pinionindependent of said segmental members and freely revolubly mounted aboutan axis coinciding with the axis of said segmental members and meshingwith said upper rack, and means for rotating said pinion to therebybodily shift said body portion and cause said body portion to tilt.

JOHN K. MCBROOM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,378,972 Moore May 24, 19211,392,965 Priwer Oct. 11, 1921 1,444,584 Clamer et a1 Feb. 6, 19231,553,618 Kay Sept. 15, 1925 1,654,419 Greene Dec. 27, 1927 1,751,856Greene Mar. 25, 1930 1,972,868 Case Sept. 11, 1934 2,059,660 Sheets Nov.3, 1936 2,202,224 Moore May 28, 1940

